By the way : More than meets the eye

The Union Territory of Daman, Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli (DD&DNH) somehow manages to be always in the news for many reasons. First, it’s sandwiched between Maharashtra and Gujarat. Second, its administrator is autonomous and directly monitored by the Home Ministry. Third, Gujarat being a dry state, Daman, Diu becomes the marriage hub in the season and liquor flows like water. Fourth, it’s a politically volatile place. Fifth, it’s the hub of all kinds of smuggling activities. Some of Mumbai’s most powerful gangs operate from here. Most Joint Secretary rank officers are always ready to move to DD&DNH. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi quietly changed the administrative setup of DD& DNH. He appointed his trusted former home minister Praful Kodabhai Patel as its administrator and has done away with the appointment of an IAS officer. Then, SS Yadav, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, was appointed as advisor to the administrator. How he got this plum posting is still a mystery. Yadav was the blue-eyed officer of former Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dixit. He has served as Secretary to Arvind Kejriwal too. Wait and watch DD & DNH carefully in the days to come. g